The Arthurian legenddeveloped over some 1,500 years and the tales of King Arthur and his band of knights have become part of our culture. This course looks at the development of the legend and its main features.

The content lends itself to a wide variety of uses and methods of presentation such as “one-offs”, short courses and discussion groups and can serve as a stimulus for group work and independent research Course leaders should feel free to adapt this material as needed. Suggestions as to how this might be done are included.

Course outline:

* Celtic influences on the Arthurian legend.
* Emergence of the legend as we know it today: Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chrétien de Troyse, Sir Thomas Malory and his “Morte D’Arthur”
* Role of Merlin
* Was there a “real”, an “historical” Arthur?
* The legendary Arthur
* The “Round Table” — Chivalry and Fellowship at Camelot
* The Quest for the Holy Grail
* The fatal triangle: Lancelot, Guinevere and Arthur
* Arthur’s death and the end of Camelot
* The legend in the modern world: The Order of the Garter, established in 1384 and still operative today; the 19th century “romantic” revival of interest in the legend and its continued reflection in the 20th and 21st centuries in art, music and film

Five maritime mysteries which have become part of universal folklore: the lost city of Atlantis, the Flying Dutchman, the abandoned Marie Celeste, disappearances within the Bermuda Triangle and the fearsome Kraken. Download

Irish Myths and Legends

Irish history is rich in legend, mythology and folklore. Its ancient societies, the Druids and the Celts, believed in the power of magic and early Irish myths blend mythology and history by describing how Ireland was settled by different groups of Celtic deities and humans. Download